Volume 6, Issue 10

07 ALBEMARLE’S YOUTH LEADS THE WAY

scrımmageplay THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA SPORTS AUTH

Another Splash STAB girls basketball returns with force PAGE 13

VOL 6. ISSUE 10 :: JANUARY 23, 2015

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WHY D A S

Why DAS? Because we’re ready to get lacrosse players geared up for spring now!

Come into DAS and snag anything you need for lacrosse whether it’s a stick, pads or stringing. www.downtownathletic.com 199 Zan Rd Charlottesville, VA 22901 (434) 975-2704

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x’s and o’s 21 07 13

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GUTTING IT OUT Covenant’s Huemme going out strong

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THE CORE Katstra and Hahn lead AHS

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DEEP ROOTS Options fuel Saints girls hoops

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GAME TIME Orange girls take down Monticello

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BRIGHTENING THE ROOM Special education sets the right example

vol 6. issue 10 :: January 22, 2015

Another Splash VOL 6 . ISSUE 10 :: JANUARY 23, 2015

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07 AlBemArle’S YouTh leAdS The wAY

STAB girls basketball returns with force page 13

S TA F F Bart Isley, Creative Director Bob Isley, Infrastructure Director Ryan Yemen, Creative Editor O N T H E COV E R STAB’s Ashley Taylor M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Local sports are the lifeblood of every community in America, and we’re here to reach beyond the basics and give compelling accounts about Central Virginia athletes to our readers.

CO N TAC T U S [ e ] info@scrimmageplay.com [ p ] 434-249-2032

Community Partnership

Working hand in hand with Red Shoes Cville to support the Ronald McDonald House of Charlottesville.

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PREGAME

Ladies and gentlemen If you’ve caught a St. Anne’s-Belfield game lately, you may have been treated to the announcing stylings of St. Anne’s-Belfield freshman Russ Beisswanger, who’s recently debuted at varsity contests after doing middle school games last year. Russ is being treated to a pair of really good basketball teams too, with STAB’s boys squad sporting a 10-5 record against stiff competition while the girls team, profiled over on page 13 check in at 14-2. ✖ (Photo by Ashley Thornton)

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u va d e pa r t m e n t o f o r t h o p e d i c s

| When every backhand gets returned with a nunchuck to the elbow

from a little karate guy, it’s time to call in the specialists. At UVA, we’re experts at diagnosing and treating even the most severe orthopedic problems. Make an appointment today and see what one of the top orthopedic programs in the region can do for you and your little unwelcomed foe. | uvaortho.com/appointment

Orthopedics

First Quarter Gutting it out

Covenant’s Huemme leads Covenant wrestling

By Bart Isley

A

Covenant’s Paul Huemme has 26 wins in his 28 matches this season. (Pat DiGregorio)

{ PINS FOR PAUL } Breaking down the wins for Huemme through the season so far.

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10 Wins on points Pins Tech falls

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K AR A EL DER

{ WINS}

wall-sit competition, where athletes — in this case wrestlers — get into a squat against the wall and simply try to hold that position as long as they can, is a test of mind over matter. A test of will. A test of toughness.

On Covenant’s wrestling team, Paul Huemme wins it every single year and has since he was in seventh grade.

“He’s a very tough athlete physically and mentally,” said Covenant coach Colin Anderson. “In his words, he just plugs away. He does a great job focusing” Huemme proved his toughness to a wider audience during football season this fall when he took over as the Eagles’ starting quarterback as part of a strategic shift to the midline option by Covenant. But he’s been proving that resilience for years on the mat in matches and tournaments across the state. Huemme has won 138 matches as a varsity starter and is sporting a 26-2 record this season a year after placing fourth in the state as a junior. In addition he put in some summer camp work that has given him a shot of confidence.

“I’ve always been strong and in shape but I haven’t been mentally there because I’ve seen a really good guy and I think I’m beat,” Huemme said. “But now I just throw that out the window and I go in with freedom and it’s more fun than past years. It can be a grind, but if you just focus on being excellent and what your ultimate goal is, (it isn’t).”

Huemme has been a part of the development of Covenant’s wrestling team from a fledgling program to a squad that fills each weight class. Since he joined in seventh grade the Eagles have developed a feeder system with fourth graders through eighth graders learning the fundamentals. They’ve also developed their own space at Covenant, helping carve out a wrestling room by expanding a former locker room.

“We used to have a huge closet in here and we’ve just really transformed this room,” Huemme said. “That’s really transformed our

team.”

Huemme, who is extremely humble, has become one of the program’s unquestioned leaders, serving as essentially an extension of the coaching staff. In fact, at times, he’s exactly that. Anderson has turned over a lot of responsibility to Huemme, having him run warmups or lead them through a drill period.

That responsibility, along with playing quarterback for the Eagles during the fall, has helped Huemme become a more vocal leader.

Huemme has always been adept at leading by example, but now he’s even found a way to improve on the quality that has helped ignite Covenant’s program.

Huemme has a lot of work left to do with the postseason fast approaching as he makes another run at a strong state tournament performance. He also knows he’s going to be leaving the program in a better place than when he joined it, as the Eagles are one of the fastest growing wrestling programs in Central Virginia, and with Kyle Naran the lone other senior in the lineup, Covenant is built for the future and the long haul.

“It’s been really awesome, some of our guys have only been wrestling three years and they just really get after it,” Huemme said.

“They hit the weights and just wrestle hard.

It’s just a lot of fun.”

Huemme has given the Covenant program so much over the years and he’s not done quite yet. But one thing is certain. Next year, finally, someone else will get a chance to win that wall-sit competition. ✖

go online »

For more wrestling coverage head to our website at: www.scrimmageplay.com.

College Update

We’ve gone digital

STAB’s Imovbioh thriving as a senior at UVa

But you can have it in print too!

By Ryan Yemen Double-doubles were the norm for Sarah Imovbioh at St. Anne’s-Belfield. Now as a senior at the University of Virginia, the former Saint is putting up those same numbers but now at one of the highest collegiate levels, playing in the vaunted Atlantic Coast Conference.

Imovbioh was sixth in the ACC last year in rebounds as a junior, hauling them in at a clip of 8.2 per contest, with four of those coming on the offensive glass. Her 12.3 points per game average made her a threat every night to hit those familiar double-double totals that she made look so easy at the high school level.

As it turns out, she saved the best for last. In her final season with the Cavaliers, Imovbioh is not only leading the Cavaliers in rebounds, but she’s also second in scoring.

Her 11.4 rebounds per game average through Virginia’s first 18 games is more 5.0 higher than her next closest teammate. Offensively, the seemingly tireless Imovbioh is averaging 14.4 points a game, and also leading UVa in field goal percentage as she’s knocking down 61.2 percent of her shots, nearly 20 percent

better than her next closest teammate.

While individual numbers are great, what matters at the end is how those translate into success for the Cavaliers who now sit at 13-5 in a conference that has six ranked opponents and two in the top ten in Louisville (No. 4) and Notre Dame (No. 6). As it sits right now, the Cavaliers, with Imovbioh leading the way, sit just one win shy of matching their win total from last season when they finished 14-17.

Imovbioh was able to lead St. Anne’sBelfield to great heights in high school and it looks like she’s going to finish up her college career by being an integral part of getting Virginia back to the spotlight it used to enjoy not so long ago. Considering how long she’s been playing hoops in Charlottesville, it’s easy to argue that Imovbioh might be the best, most reliable and single most significant women’s basketball player this town has ever seen. That’s not hyperbole, and there have been some great athletes to play here, whether locally in high school or with the Cavaliers. ✖

BELOW » Imovbioh is finishing off her basketball career in Charlottesville in style. (Jim Daves)

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THE CORE story by ryan yemen | photos by ashley thornton

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or a coach, it’s a double-edged sword. Sure you want your team to be driven by youth — it only guarantees that the future will yield fruit. In fact, in high school, regardless of the sport, the sentiment always seems to be that one of ‘wait until next year’. And that sentiment lasts until you get a big senior class and suddenly it’s back to the drawing board. Albemarle coach Greg Maynard is in an interesting position. His big senior class is coming next year. The Patriots have 11 juniors on their roster. As important as those soon-to-be upperclassmen are now, and will be next year, what drives Albemarle right now is a rarity — a pair of sophomores, both of whom were as important now to this team as they were when they were freshman.

To have just one four-year starter in a class is a great find. Getting two is playing with house money and right now, Albemarle has that going with sophomores Austin Katstra and Jake Hahn.

Last year wasn’t supposed to be as good as it was for Albemarle, not with so much turnover on the roster and the best newcomers being freshmen. Sure Katstra and Hahn were tall and athletic, but they were still just freshmen. How good, how productive could they be in a Jefferson District with a lightning quick Charlottesville team that preys on inexperience, and then a truly experienced and cerebral Western Albemarle squad that did all the little things right? Well as it turned out, while Albemarle’s then-freshmen duo had some adjustments to make and endured their struggles, they were also the breakout stars of the 2013-2014 regular season.

That Katstra was a double-double player for Albemarle out of the gates wasn’t too much of a surprise, or an accident. Katstra is the son of the University of Virginia’s associate athletic director and executive director of the Virginia Athletics foundation, Dirk Katstra, who himself played for the Cavaliers from 1987 to 1991 and was a captain as a senior. Add to that Richard Katstra, Austin’s grandfather, who also played for UVa back in the 1960’s and you quickly get the picture that hoops is in the name.

“In sixth grade my elbow was too far out when I’d shoot,” Katstra said. “My dad worked with me, fixed it and now I’m a better shooter. He’s played so long and knows so much that whenever I need advice I ask him and I take it. We play a lot of H-O-R-S-E. I finally beat him once a couple of months ago and I don’t think he’s owning up to that, but we have a lot of fun with basketball.”

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--------“Nothing was ever said about going to play more there (with Coach Maynard). I kind of just wound up there myself,” — Hahn

09 :: @scrimmageplay

Hahn has been playing with Katstra since elementary school, and as such, it seems only fitting that not only are they the focal point of this program right now and for the foreseeable future — but that they have no qualms about moving around on the floor.

“I’ve been playing with Austin since fifth grade,” Hahn said. “We’ve really gotten used to each other.”

Last year Hahn was a big threat for the Patriots at the 3-point line. His height and shooting percentage made him problematic to defend. This year, not that he can’t line up from the perimeter or that he doesn’t want to, but Hahn is beginning to fill out physically and, in turn, he’s enjoying life in the paint a bit more.

“I kind of like it better honestly — you’re closer to the basket and you get to shoot more free throws,” Hahn said.

“Nothing was ever said about going to play more there (with coach Maynard), I kind of just wound up there myself.”

While Katstra is no stranger to the paint now, with Hahn looking to spend more time underneath the basket, Maynard has been able to change things up a bit. Katstra was the key for Albemarle down low on both ends of the court last year, and he still is, but how he goes about that is different now. This year Katstra’s showed the kind of outside game that Hahn produced last year. Katstra’s ball handling skills combined with his height make him a perfect press breaker, the kind of point-forward that opposing coaches dread. His athleticism and comfort with the ball have allowed him to create his own path to the basket, rather than have to wait for a guard to find an opening while he posts up. Combine that with Hahn’s eagerness to attack down low and suddenly the roles are a bit reversed from last year.

“Last year I’d say I was post-oriented and didn’t quite have a perimeter game,” Katstra said. “I worked on it over the summer and now I’m driving better, shooting the 3-pointer better. I’m working to keep getting better in both those areas. Jake and I, I don’t want to say we’ve totally switched roles but it kind of feels that way. He’s gotten bigger, developed his game in the post. We worked a lot together over the summer and things are really working out. I’m not having to go up against guys that are 30 pounds heavier than me every night now.”

Because as tall as the 6-foot-5 Katstra is, he is also lean and fast. His usual role growing up got substantially harder his freshman year.

“That was a big change when you go from being one of the tallest guys playing AAU basketball to playing high school as a freshman playing against guys the same height and definitely bigger, stronger,” Katstra said. “It helped. It made me grow up.”

And so that point-forward role that few can play but that

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MONTICELLO’S KYLE JARRELL

Kyle Jarrell is a key member of the Monticello basketball squad, having carved out a role for himself as a reliable player for a Mustangs’ team that has been tough out of late in the Jefferson District, pushing district leaders like Charlottesville and Albemarle about all they could handle.

Jarrell has been pushing himself in the classroom too, where he sports a 4.61 GPA and is a member of four different honor societies, including two in foreign languages, German and French.

The other two, Math and National Honor Society along with his membership in the Monticello Jazz Ensemble and spot as the Trumpet Section Leader in the Albemarle County Honors Band show just how well-rounded Jarrell is.

He also participates in the Monticello Scholars Program in Math, Science and Engineering, taking engineering classes at UVa. Put all that together with varsity baseball in the spring and volunteering with organizations like PACEM and the Salvation Army and it’s clear why Jarrell has become an important member of the basketball team -- he’s a versatile talent who works awfully hard at each of his crafts.

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--------“I think that’s where our troubles came from last year and that we’re doing a good job of outrebounding most teams we play right now,” — Katstra

11 :: @scrimmageplay

can change the dynamic of a team now fits. None of that works though if Hahn doesn’t slide down underneath and help out in the rebounding game. That’s not been an issue.

“I feel like the rebounding has gotten a lot better this season,” Katstra said. “I think that’s where our troubles came from last year and that we’re doing a good job of outrebounding most teams we play right now.”

So from a coaching perspective, you can’t ask for much more. Hahn is looking more and more like a power forward that happens to be an excellent shooter. Katstra is discovering his role as more of a slashing type forward.

There’s a lot to build on there, especially since on the defensive end both can hold their own inside.

“Jake is probably still our best 3-point shooter even though he’s shooting less but he’s worked really hard in the weight room and become so much better inside,” Maynard said. “The key to Austin is that he’s not just an inside player and he can score in a variety of ways. His defense, his length — he leads to the team in blocks — he’s just helping us in so many areas now.”

Surrounding the sophomore duo right is the team’s lone senior Juwan Carter, who much like Katstra and Hahn, has the length to be a difference inside but also has an outside shot and skills off the dribble. Kennedy Brown, a junior, took a big step last year as a sophomore and is the team’s best distributor. With Katstra and Hahn doing the heavy lifting, the Patriots are looking to develop at guard to set up a great end of the season and a potentially huge campaign next year.

“By starting the two freshmen last year and playing so many of the guys that are juniors now, I feel like that even though we are young, we’re a lot more experienced than our actual age,” Maynard said. “We did not come into this season thinking we were rebuilding. We are looking right now at having a really good season, taking it as best we can gameby-game.”

The Patriots got off to a furious start and of their four losses, two of them have been against a Charlottesville team that’s lost just once, and defeated all of its Jefferson opponents. After back-to-back losses against Western and CHS on the road, Albemarle bounced back with wins over Conference 16 rival Patrick Henry, Fluvanna and Powhatan in a route to set up a favorable home schedule going forward.

“We still make our mistakes, have our short comings being a young team, but I think we can get those things solved,” Maynard said. “Our overall ball handling, that needs to be better. Teams that are smaller but apply a lot of pressure like Charottesville and Spotswood account for three of our four losses. So our guards need to get to the point where they can handle that.”

The bottom line right now is that the Patriots have the table set with their stars, but just getting production from them isn’t enough, nor was it last year. In the offense that Albemarle runs, everyone has to be able to rise to the occasion given the proper matchups. When the Patriots beat Patrick Henry the night after they fell to Charlottesville, they had just that.

“We have balance and Austin scoring a lot and we need that,” Maynard said. “But the difference between winning and losing is having him and the other guys all score. Against a good Patrick Henry team away we had four guys in double figures.”

As it sits now, the Patriots’ coaching staff is really playing the waiting game. With a young team that’s overachieved these last two seasons if you base it just on age, it’s getting to the point now where expectations start to set in. When a core of talent winds up climbing the ranks together, someone has to take the reigns on the court because Maynard is a coach relegated to the sidelines. It takes more than a coach to light a fire.

“What we’re looking for now is vocal leaders,” Maynard said. “We’re relying a bit too much

on me for that, and so that’s something we’re really working on. These are all such nice kids, they aren’t mean to each other. We need to find that where they fire each other up — you watch Virginia play right now, that’s what they do to each other. Right now I’m having to be the mean guy, and we are really looking forward to them doing that for themselves. You have to have that in basketball.”

There’s still a lot of time for the Patriots to find that as they age at an impressive rate.

The good news is that this team learned about postseason disappointment last year, and surely is ready to take the next step. The even better news is that whatever happens this year for Albemarle will be fuel for this program heading forward. Albemarle has all the pieces to have an exceptional finish this year if the right things happen. It has all the opportunities right now to learn the hard lessons with very little on the line.

Time will tell if this group solves those puzzles and makes the most of a rare opportunity — gifted youth with way more experience than any program could ask for. ✖

---------SUPPORTING THE FUTURE SPORTS STARS OF TOMORROW

Best of luck to our 2013 student athletes as they embark on their college careers.

Maiah Bartlett Miles Davis Blissie DuBose Will Eppard Tyler Gimple Will Grossman Allie Nicholson Lloyd Smith Stewart Staunton Aaron Stinnie Catherine Towers

University of Mary Washington St. Joseph’s University University of North Carolina Stevenson University University of Mary Washington Colorado College University of Virginia Bates College University of Virginia James Madison University Gettysburg College

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Deep Roots

Story by Bart Isley Âť Photos by Ashley Thornton

13 :: @scrimmageplay

ST. ANNE’S-BELFIELD’S Mailynn Steppe is a tremendous wing player who operates largely in the lane, adept at using positioning and her skillset to create lanes to the basket and efficiently take care of business on the glass despite not being extremely tall. She even runs the floor and finishes well in transition. But against St. Catherine’s she was bringing the ball up for the Saints, and nobody on the floor or on the STAB bench seemed at all nervous.

A few nights later, Ashley Taylor, another forward, was bringing the ball up. Same reaction from the Saints again — zero panic.

“We just have trust in one another — we just have to have faith and trust each other’s abilities,” said STAB point guard Bri Tinsley.

It’s one thing to develop a little versatility in one player’s game. A post player adds a mid-range jumper. A taller guard goes to work on her post game. A shooter develops an ability to put the ball on the floor and drive.

But it isn’t often that a team develops incredible versatility at every position to the point that it actually doesn’t matter who has the ball in the backcourt — anyone can bring it up, and anyone can make a play from any spot.

“We are probably the most versatile team I’ve had in 14 years,” said St. Anne’s-Belfield coach Phil Stinnie. “I have five people who can handle the ball against the press. That’s a key. People can’t press us, so our worst enemy is us.”

That versatility starts with Tinsley, who has been unleashed this season after a summer where she became one of the fastest-rising names on the collegiate recruiting circuit, drawing interest from ACC schools and other national powers. After a year as an understudy at the point behind Haley Kent, Tinsley has put a major mark on this season already, running the team like it’s her own. Which is convenient, because that’s exactly what it has become. www.scrimmageplay.com ::

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We all kind of know what we bring to the table and what we don’t and I guess that’s why we’re a pretty good team — Steppe 15 :: @scrimmageplay

“Last year I was the best defense in the country on her because I was the one who held her back, but this year, Haley handed her the throne,” Stinnie said. “She saw the things that Haley did and incorporated them into her game and that’s how she’s become the point guard that we all see now.”

Tinsley leads the Saints in scoring, assists and steals.

She’s averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 4.2 steals per contest while adding, for good measure, 3.3 rebounds per game. She’s been used in a variety of different ways defensively, including as the baseline runner (sometimes called the warrior) in the 1-3-1 zone where she has to guard players in the post and close out on 3-point shooters, sometimes in the same possession.

It’s an incredible breakout season for the talented guard as she’s clearly at the beginning of the career arc that several players have followed at STAB, developing under Stinnie’s tutelage before dominating at the next level.

“I’ve just been working on my shot and my ball-handling just to prove that I can do some things — that I can do more,” Tinsley said.

One of Tinsley’s most noticeable traits is the way she gets everyone involved, distributing to anyone who managed to get open and running the offense crisply while rarely forcing the issue. That’s a trait the entire team seems to share — nobody seems obsessed with getting their points. There’s an understanding that the more balanced STAB is, the more dangerous they become as a whole. There is a trust among the Saints that everyone is capable of handling their role.

“Last year we kind of had our set positions but for this team we all kind of play the different positions,” Steppe said.

“We all kind of know what we bring to the table and what we don’t and I guess that’s why we’re a pretty good team.”

They’re all capable of handling a lot of responsibility, but they’ve taken it upon themselves to also play to their own strengths. Take Sierra Smith’s rebounding.

The sophomore checks in around 5-foot-10 and isn’t by any means as tall as STAB’s (and perhaps the area’s) bestever rebounder, current UVa standout Sarah Imovbioh. But Smith makes up for her more ordinary height with incredible anticipation. She seems to know where the ball is headed before it even comes off the rim, putting herself in ideal position night in and night out. She’s averaging 8.9 rebounds per outing, and has posted as many as 17 in a night as she continues to emerge as a force on the glass.

“Pound for pound, inch for inch, I don’t know if there’s anybody out there who rebounds like Sierra Smith,” Stinnie said. “She’s a ball magnet, she knows how to read it off the rim and when she gets it in her hands, nobody is taking it away.”

Steppe has made some significant improvements too and is dangerous with the ball in her hands or on the block. She also seems to be playing with a renewed determination.

“She’s playing with a chip on her shoulder,” Stinnie said.

“She thinks that last year she didn’t get the accolades she thought she deserved and she’s coming out and showing everybody she’s a player.”

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I like to go up and down, I don’t like to slow down.

(Having Davis in the lineup) helps a lot.

— Tinsley 17 :: @scrimmageplay

Taylor has also continued her steady march to becoming one of the area’s most consistent players. She’s a clear threat from beyond the 3-point line, hitting 36 percent of her teamhigh 86 attempts through 15 games.

“We know Ashley is the best shooter on the team, so we try to find her,” Tinsley said.

Emily Battle, one of the squad’s two seniors, has emerged as a jack of all trades, doing a lot of the little things to make the Saints’ defense work and keep the offense clicking. Her classmate Megan Duggins is also a master at doing a lot of the small things that make a team succeed.

“Megan comes off the bench for us and hustles, gets the rebounds, she’s an awesome passer and Emily gets the rebounds and she’ll even pop the mid-range (jumper) and sink that,” Steppe said. “Those two definitely do the little things.”

Sophomore Jayla Davis provides another wickedly quick backcourt option and can jumpstart the transition game.

She’s also stifling defensively, averaging 3.3 steals per contest and has helped keep opposing teams from locking in on Tinsley up top.

Throw in Olivia Vande Woude and Brittany Schoeb, who can give the Saints solid minutes, and there are a lot of pieces available for the Saints and that makes trust imperative. But that takes work and a willingness to communicate.

The Saints’ comfort comes in part because they’re accountable to one another. Where on many teams, players may be hesitant to correct a teammate, at STAB each player has an intimate understanding of their teammates’ games.

That often leads to correction and communication among the players which makes Stinnie’s job a little easier and translates to better play during games.

“Everyday we’re working on our strengths, our weaknesses and we pretty much know,” Stinnie said. “One of our girls will shoot from a spot and one of her teammates will say that’s not your spot.”

Often, Steppe is one of the players who is holding teammates accountable.

“I definitely try to (let them know) when they’re doing the wrong thing when I know they’re capable of so much more,” Steppe said. “I think they’re starting to understand that it’s not to hurt them or put them down at all but it’s just to help them.”

Because they can anticipate what their teammates are doing, the Saints love playing fast. At a breakneck pace if they had their choice, especially with Davis and Tinsley running the break and forcing the issue on opponents. But it’s a team effort too and everybody has learned to love to run, “I like to go up and down, I don’t like to slow down,” Tinsley said. “(Having Davis in the lineup) helps a lot because I’ve played on a team where nobody runs with me and I just have to go by myself. (Steppe, Johnson and Battle) know that we pass the ball ahead so they just go and take off.”

That running aspect of the game is a natural strength, but while they’re quick and in remarkable shape, they aren’t extremely deep. Seven or eight players in the rotation usually means that pace is going to matter as the opponents get

tougher, so Stinnie has worked to get them to run a more sustained offense at times, giving a multi-talented group the added dimension of altering the pace.

“That’s the way they love to play and I’m making them use more of the clock now but they’d shoot in seven seconds and it’d be a good shot because we have so many moving targets,” Stinnie said. “We can’t get caught up in taking the first shot so we’re reversing, penetrating, kicking, making the defense move. (We want) to reverse the ball three or four times and then attack.”

The end result is that the Saints can beat you in so many ways. Try to shut down or deny Tinsley (much easier said than done) and Steppe or Davis can step up to run the offense. Close out on Taylor beyond the arc and Tinsley will make you pay with a drive down the lane or a deft pass to the backside.

Make a mistake passing on the offensive end and they’ll make you pay with active hands in the passing lane as they average nearly 13 steals per game and can head the other way in an instant. They’re all just so comfortable with each other.

“A lot of us are returning players so a lot of us got that chemistry last year,” Steppe said. “But for players who are new, we definitely focused in the offseason on knowing each other, spending time outside of basketball. I think that really applies to the game and how we bond.”

STAB is versatile. They’re dangerous and they know what they’re capable of. Everything is working right now for the Saints. And that’s why no matter who’s bringing the ball up, STAB isn’t going to panic. ✖

TEAM SPOTLIGHT LOUISA WRESTLING Louisa County’s wrestling squad picked up a Jefferson District title this month with a solid performance that included five unbeaten wrestlers shown here, Jaret Grimsley, Randy Rustick, Jordan Spotswood, Bailey Runnett and Ryan Norwood. Way to go Lions, good luck in the postseason!

(Photo courtesy Mary Rustick)

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Game Time Orange 50, Monticello 37

By Bart Isley

Orange’s Kiana Hudgens fights off Monticello’s Kiana Scott in the Hornets’ win over the Mustangs.

(Ashley Thornton)

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At this point in the year with Monticello’s senior-laden lineup, it was going to take a Herculean effort to end the Mustangs’ two and a half year Jefferson District winning streak.

Orange County proved up to the task Tuesday night.

“This has been a long time coming ...

This is the biggest win they’ve ever been a part of and to do it against a class act like coach (Josh) McElheney and a great program like Monticello is great for us,” said Orange coach Dave Rabe. “That’s the first complete game I feel like we’ve played in a very long time.”

The Hornets handed Monticello its first loss in district play since the Mustangs fell to Louisa in January of 2012. With an incredible effort on the boards, Orange beat Monticello 50-37.

“We’re so glad that our hard work has finally paid off,” said Orange senior Markiana Smith. “We’re just going to take this win and keep on building from here and make it as far as we know we can.”

Smith posted a double-double to help ignite the Hornets, scoring a team-high 15 points and hauling in 10 rebounds. Smith’s effort along with Elisha Richardson’s own 10 boards played a big role in the Hornets’ decisive 43-24 advantage on the boards.

“Not a whole lot went right, I thought they outhustled us to the ball, they got every rebound, they made shots -- a ton of shots,” said Monticello coach Josh McElheney. “Everything we shot was

contested and they made it tough on us tonight.”

Smith scored eight points in the first quarter alone to help spark the Hornets to a 26-22 lead at the break. Laine Harrington also put together a strong night with 12 points and seven rebounds. She scored seven of her points in the final frame, helping Orange pull away down the stretch.

Point guard Kiani Hudgens was absolutely critical in the closing minutes, managing the pace of the game extremely well as Monticello stepped up the defensive pressure in an effort to salvage a victory.

“We go as far as she goes and I’ve said that before,” Rabe said. “She controls the ball for us. It doesn’t have to be points, but most importantly, fewer turnovers and when she can do that, then things start to open up offensively.”

Hudgens dished out five assists on the night to go with her eight points while Rebecca Harvey finished with four assists and five points.

Monticello got 16 points from Meghan Comer and another 14 from Molly Shephard, but struggled to create any scoring beyond those two seniors.

“It was a heck of a run and it was bound to come to an end at some point,” McElheney said. “I’d rather it be against Dave (Rabe) than anybody else.”

And so it was.

Orange County travels to take on Louisa County Friday while Monticello hits the floor again tomorrow at home against Fuqua. ✖

See a photograph you like?

Defensive stand Warriors goalie has more than one trick | By Ryan Yemen

At Scrimmage Play we pride ourselves on offering the best possible graphics Two years ago the Western Albemarle boys to Shin, who doubles as a Junior National Judo soccer team get was fueled its underclassmen medalist, we can our byhands on, in both our but has developed into one of the with sophomores and freshman bearing the area’s most versatile goalkeepers. magazine as well as at our website at brunt of the work load.

The netminder has shown he’s capable of Now two years later, forwards Aaron Myers making big saves, particularly in the team’s www.scrimmageplay.com and Alex Nolet, as well as senior defender two ties. In the first game of the season, Tom Rogers are all in their senior seasons and looking to earn a Region II bid, something that Orange County snatched away from them in the Jefferson District semifinals last season.

After the first month of play, the Warriors seem to have the defensive side of the equation figured out and junior goalkeeper Kai Shin is a big part of that.

Before Western went on its spring break, none of its four opponents were able to score more than once, a testament to the team’s play in the middle of the field, but also a nod

Shin endured wave after wave of Albemarle attack, but stood tall and showed no rust in the 1-1- tie.

But while Shin’s on the field because he can make stops, his strong leg has also been of great use as he’s able to easily clear the zone but also spark fast breaks all by himself.

The Warriors averaged a little over two goals per contest before the break, but if that average starts to increase, don’t be surprised if it’s because of Shin’s ability to contribute to the transition game. ✖

We want to make sure that our readers have the same opportunity to have these photos. If something catches your eye in either the magazine or on the web, you can order the photograph for yourself.

Whether it’s a 4x6 glossy print or a 13x11 mounted photo, we’ve got a full range of possibilities for you to choose from.

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Western Albemarle’s Kai Shin hauls in a shot during his team’s 1-1 tie with Albemarle that kicked off the soccer season for both squads. (Frank Crocker)

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Overtime

Brightening the room Fluvanna’s Medford League teaches wonderful lesson

All students every day. That’s a pretty spot-on motto for educators, particularly those in special education. Fluvanna County special education director Katrina Lee posted it as a hashtag on Twitter just hours after that phrase came to life in such a dramatic, authentic way January 9. That’s when Fluvanna County’s Medford League team, part of a basketball program founded in Richmond and designed to give special education students the opportunity to experience playing a sport in front of their peers, took the floor for the first time.

With an effort spearheaded by special education teacher and varsity girls basketball assistant Nick Ward, Fluvanna put together an incredible opening game experience, complete with cheerleaders, a crowd and all the other trappings of a high school game.

“This is the most amazing thing ever,” Lee said. “Probably the most fun I’ve had in my job in a long time. For our county this is so amazing.”

It was incredible to watch the student athletes’ faces light up during introductions, including one Fluvanna student who, when her name was announced, unleashed her own celebratory dance.

There was this unbridled joy, this passion that came out as everyone on the Fluvanna roster seemed to get their moment to shine, with players in wheelchairs making inbounds passes from their chairs. The Medford rules help facilitate those moments with built in features like “comp shots” where players who didn’t get a chance to shoot take a shot after the quarter is over. Those adjustments aren’t numerous however. For the most part it looks a lot like any other high school basketball game, only with more celebrating on the court and smiling along the sidelines and in the stands.

“It builds self esteem and a sense of accomplishment,” Lee said.

Tyler Brumbaugh was one of Fluvanna’s players, and he registered around five steals in the contest and took a couple of those steals to the rack on the other end.

“The joy on their face when they’re playing it’s just so fulfilling,” Lee said.

But Brumbaugh’s day didn’t start out that way. He was nervous about the event and frustrated by the noise early on, holding his hands over his ears during the national anthem that preceded the game. But when he got onto the court, everything changed, and you could see that change in how teachers and administrators around the court reacted when Brumbaugh scored his first basket.

“You know the students intimately so we know their challenges,” Lee said. “We know how hard it is for that student to get up on the court and actually come out and play. I know how hard it is for him with the noise and the stimulation so it’s moving. It’s moving to see them get out and actually play.”

We’ve gotten pretty cynical about how high schools work, this idea of a Mean Girls-style hierarchy that creates a sort of caste system within our schools. But it doesn’t actually have to be that way. When you see varsity girls basketball players from Fluvanna like Katie Stutz and Morgan Symmers helping make something like the Medford League happen by serving as volunteer coaches it confirms that a high school can be more inclusive. When there are cheerleaders cheering for a game where the score simply doesn’t matter, it confirms that

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“We know how hard it is for that student to get up on the court and actually come out and play.” a high school can be more inclusive. When Brumbaugh and Diana and Erin Feathers and every other player that suited up for Fluvanna played hard and took pride in competing while representing their school, it confirms that a high school can be more inclusive.

“It also gives the entire general education population a sense of community,” Lee said.

“They begin to appreciate the students with disabilities and we all embrace each other. It brings everyone together.”

That day in January it did just that. The Medford League, and programs like it, have the power to bring all students together, every day, and morph that motto into a rallying cry for a movement. ✖

Bart Isley

CRE ATIVE DIRECTOR

back talk »

Do you know of anything else like Fluvanna’s Medford League?

Email: bart@scrimmageplay.com

Success stories begin here.

Success Story: Marquis Haynes Sometimes persistence is the key.

Marquis Haynes didn’t let adversity get the best of him. The Jacksonville, Florida native took an interesting path to land at Ole Miss after his days at University Christian School were over in 2013. The 6-foot-3-inch 225 pounder was a three-star recruit coming out of high school, but he needed time at a postgraduate school to help properly prepare him for college.

Haynes came to Fork Union in the fall of 2013 to do just that with an offer from North Carolina already in hand, but only improved his recruiting profile by racking up 16 sacks, nine forced fumbles and an interception while playing under John Shuman’s vaunted PG program. After becoming a full qualifier academically, Haynes was dealt a blow with the Tar Heels denying him acceptance into the school. But in a strange twist, it opened another door as Ole Miss quickly got word that one of the prospects they had been pursuing was

suddenly available. In December, the Rebels and Haynes struck a deal.

Haynes enrolled at Ole Miss for the spring 2014 semester, allowing him to practice with the team while also getting a head start on his academics. The results speak for themselves. This fall as a true freshman, Haynes helped Ole Miss put together a 9-4 season. With Haynes unexpectedly leading the way, the Rebels held opponents to just 16 points per game giving them the best scoring defense in the country. Haynes earned freshman All-American honors with his seven and half sacks, nine tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Maybe this wasn’t the path that Marquis Haynes thought he’d have when he finished up high school, but not all journeys are set in stone.

However, it’s one that’s shown him the keys to success, and that matters most.

Fork Union Military Academy is the leading Christian military boarding school for boys in grades 6 - 12 and PG. www.forkunion.com — 1-800-GO-2-FUMA